McCall Made

McCall Made started as a whispered scheme between two artists while we were selling together at shows and pop-up events throughout town, and grew from there as our friendship and mutual support for each other's work did, too. We would (and still do) meet together regularly to paint outside by the lake, and as the months and years passed, we were perpetually keeping an eye on places that might be a good fit for the inspiring space we had in mind. Applying for local grant funding to help us put on an annual outdoor art show we'd always envisioned going hand-in-hand with a brick and mortar retail space was the impetus we needed to jump headfirst into McCall Made, and we're still pinching ourselves about how well it all worked out. Soon after we announced our plans publicly in town, we were invited to take over a 1400' retail space formerly occupied by a local craft store that was already planning to close its doors— something we didn't even know would be possible until it was. Not only were we offered one of the best retail rents in town, the previous owners were so supportive and kind throughout the entire process, going out of their way to make our move into the space one of the most seamless and generous business transitions we could have ever imagined. We didn't get the local grant, but when you want something badly enough, you figure out a way to make it work, right? That's what we're doing every day. More than anything, we wanted to create an inspiring, inclusive space FOR local artists BY local artists. 100% of proceeds from the shop go back into the local art community—either paying local artists directly or paying to keep the lights on at McCall Made so local artists continue getting paid for selling their work. We're extremely proud of that.

In addition to being the only place in McCall where shoppers can peruse goods made entirely by local artisans of all types, McCall Made also offers hands-on creative workshops and art classes, alongside art and business-specific resources and networking opportunities for the dynamic and growing community of local creatives here in the West Central Mountains. Long-term, we want McCall Made to exist for years and years to come. We love providing a place where locals and visitors can feel as excited when they walk out of the shop as they do when they first walk in—knowing they're supporting a variety of local makers and small business owners with every purchase they make, no matter how big or how small. We want to keep encouraging local makers to share their art with the world, and in our local community. We want to celebrate with them every time they make a sale, every time they learn something new, every time they hit a milestone in their small business. We definitely want to continue writing bigger and bigger checks to local artists every month (one of the best parts of our job, for sure!).